Designs for a nine-home development in Cattistock Road, Maiden Newton upset some neighbors.
Several wrote to Dorset Council to complain about the height of the buildings, the materials used and the layout of the site, located off Manor Farm Close and within the village protection area.
But despite their objections, the district planning committee unanimously approved details of the scheme at a meeting on Thursday.
Some objectors said the design looked more urban than rustic, and one commented that it would look good in the suburbs of Bournemouth or Poole, but not in Maiden-Newton.
Richard Burgess, agent for developer, Devon and Dorset Properties, said the design aligns with the site’s intentions and will provide three acres of riverside gardens for community use while also offering the company a mini-games park. He said the developer had worked with the parish council to address concerns and had already made several changes to the original plans.
The parish council said it remains concerned about some aspects of the site’s design and whether proposals to deal with potential flooding will be sufficient.
Ward Council member Tony Alford told the district planning committee that the impact on neighboring homes remained “severe and negative,” including one he said would now be overlooked.
He said the development was inappropriate for the area and compared poorly to the recent development at Church Farm Close, and feared that the risks of run-off would not be reduced by changes to the original proposals.
Cllr Alford said the site was dominated by road planning and challenging parking areas, looking out over other homes in the area and affecting the setting of the Grade 1 listed St Mary’s Church.
The design includes terraces of three and four units and a pair of separate units to the north. Parking is provided by a combination of garages, car outlets, and hardwood areas.
Committee members delegated final approval of some aspects of the design to planning officials.
A 2015 scheme request for up to 20 homes on the site was denied in 2016 with an appeal denied a year later.